Protective cover and lip guard for a can



April 15, 1969 E, N 'sc ET AL 3,438,533

PROTECTIVE COVER AND LIP GUARD FOR A CAN Filed July 28, 1967 Fig-7 Fig.2 2

Mmvargzgm ATTONEY g United States Patent 015cc 3,438,533 Patented Apr.15, 1969 3,438,533 PROTECTIVE COVER AND LIP GUARD FOR A CAN EmilHanisch, Montecuccoliplatz 12/2/1/4, Vienna 13, Austria; LeopoldPretterhofer, Penzingerstrasse 7 Vienna 14, Austria; and Wilhelm Neidl,Heitzinger Hauptstrasse 124, Vienna 13, Austria Filed July 28, 1967,Ser. No. 656,839 Claim priority, application Austria, July 29, 1966, 7,301/ 66 Int. Cl. B65d 39/00, 41/00, 45/00, 17/00 US. Cl. 220-24 8Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A shipping container for beverages,preferably a can, which comprises a can including a cover and having anupper edge formation, adapted as zone usable for drinking, and acovering member applied to the upper edge formation, and complying withthe requirements of hygiene. A removable protecting layer is disposed ontop of the covering member.

The present invention relates to a shipping container for beverages,preferably a can, and serves the purpose on the one hand of makingpossible the drinking from containers, which are normally not suitablefor drinking in well-mannered form, and on the other hand of makingpossible a drinking with a view of the requirements for hygiene.

It is conventional to put beverages, for instance beer, filled in cansonto the market, because this arrangement provides several advantages.These cans or cups are, as a rule, equipped with a cover which can betorn up or they must be opened with a can opener. In both cases, adirect drinking from the cans is not possible due to the danger ofinjury, the unfavorable taste, which is caused by the can material tothe lips, the non-appetizing condition, the non-hygiene of the can edgesoiled by the handling of the can and finally is also practicallyimpossible, due to the unpleasant appearance of a drinking from a can.

A drink accessory is known, which comprises a slightly conic-a1 ring,which is displaceable along the outer jacket of a can. In the upwardlymoved position, the narrower edge of the ring abuts the upper flangedseam edge of the can and forms with the can cover a flat cup, into whichthe can content can be poured through corresponding bores and then canbe consumed. The drinking is simplified with this drink accessory,however, no account has been taken in any way to the hygienicrequirements.

In order to maintain the hygiene, rings or ring sections of U-shape incross-section are known, which are mounted on the edge of the container.Such rings or ring sections must be stored separately and can hardly beapplied to conventional containers.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provideshipping containers for beverages, preferably cans, wherein a zone ofthe container, preferably the container edge, is equipped with a covercorresponding to the requirements for hygiene, which cover is in turncovered with a protection layer which can be peeled off or be separated.

The shipping container, designed in accordance with the presentinvention, can be filled up in a factory and can be brought onto themarket equipped with the drink accessory. After the opening of the canand separation of the protection layer a hygienically non-objectionablezone is available which makes possible a pleasant drinking, andparticularly then, if the hygienic cover is made of a lip-friendlymaterial.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide ashipping container for beverages, preferably cans, wherein the removableor separable protection and/or the hygienic layer is formed by a layerof thermoplastic material. The protection layer and/ or the cover cancomprise, in accordance with one embodiment of the pres ent invention,also a film produced for instance by immersing.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention thepeelable or separable protection layer covers at least the flanged seamedge of a container edge equipped with a tearable bottom portion,whereby at least this flanged seam edge is equipped as a drinking edgewith a hygienic cover.

Finally, the present invention is also concerned with an arrangement,according to which the peelable or separable protection layer amounts toan extended cover edge, which overlies a drawn-in edge portion of thecontainer, whereby this edge portion carries the hygienic layer.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in thefollowing detailed description, the present invention will be clearlyunderstood in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a containerequipped with a drinking can; and

FIG. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of another embodiment of thepresent invention.

Referring now to the drawing, and in particular to FIG. 1, thecontainer, for instance, a metal can 1 has an upper edge, which isclosed up by cover 2. A covering member 4 is provided on the upper edgeof the container 1, which overlies a flanged seam cover edge 3. Thiscovering member 4 forms a drinking edge which makes possible a pleasantdrinking after opening of the can. The covering member 4 is covered by aprotection layer 5, which prevents soiling and which can be peeled 01fdirectly prior to the drinking on the taps '5.

The covering member 4, as well as the protection layer 5, can be appliedby means of an immersing process and may have the form of a layer or afilm.

Referring new again to the drawing, and in particular to FIG. 2, thesheet metal can 1 has a drawn-in upper edge portion 1' on which there isprovided on the outside a drinking edge in form of a covering member 4.The sheet metal can 1 is closed up by a cover 2 which has an extendedcover edge, which overlies the covering member 4 as a protecting meansand which can be equipped with a tearable closure 2'. Upon lifting ofthe cover 2, the covering member 4 permits a drinking from the can innon-objectionable manner.

The present invention has been disclosed in connection with twoembodiments, without thereby indicating a limitation to the particularlyshown embodiments.

We claim:

1. A shipping container for beverages, preferably a can, comprising acan including a cover and having an upper edge formation, adapted as azone usable for drinking,

a covering member applied to said upper edge formation, and complyingwith the requirements of hygiene, and

a removable protecting covering member.

2. The shipping container, as set worth in claim 1,

wherein said protecting layer is peelable.

3. The shipping container, as set forth in claim 1, wherein saidprotecting layer is separable.

4. The shipping container, as set forth in claim 1, wherein saidcovering member is of lip-friendly material.

layer disposed on top of said 5. The shipping container, as set forth inclaim 1, wherein said covering member comprises a film. 6. The shippingcontainer, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said protecting layercomprises a film. 7. The shipping container, as set forth in claim 1,wherein said layer covers at least the edge of said edge forma tion, thelatter has a tearable bottom portion, and at least said edge is equippedwith said hygienic covering member to operate as a drinking edge. 8. Theshipping container, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said edge formationis drawn in,

said cover has an extension constituting said protecting layer andoverlying said drawn-in edge formation, and

the latter carries said protecting layer.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,204,805 9/1965 May 22054 10GEORGE T. HALL, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

